My Genealogy Hound

P. D. FIRESTONE.
P. D. Firestone, one of the well-known agriculturists of Auburn township, Shawnee County, who owns a fine grain and stock farm of 160 acres situated in section 9, township 13, range 14, was born in York County, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1828, and is a son of William and Margaret (Detter) Firestone.

George Firestone, the paternal grandfather, was born in Holland. The father of our subject was a prosperous farmer in Pennsylvania, where he died when our subject was only two years old, leaving nine children: Daniel, Mathias, John, William, Susan, Esther, Polly, Margaret and P. D.

After the death of the father, the family moved to Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Firestone was reared and remained until 1854, in the meantime attending school in various places and securing a superior education. His study years were from 16 to 21, during which period he was a student at Gettysburg for a time. He then learned the tailoring trade only to find that the necessary close confinement would not agree with him and an open outdoor life would be more beneficial. In the spring of 1854 he moved upon a farm in Wayne County, Ohio, which he operated until 1878 when he settled on his present property. He has a valuable farm here, well-improved and finely cultivated, to which he has devoted much attention and from which he obtains very satisfactory results.

Mr. Firestone was married in 1853, in Pennsylvania, to Christiana Conn, who was born in York County, Pennsylvania, in 1834, and died on our subject’s present farm, aged 49 years. Of the 11 children born to them, four died in infancy, while Margaret died aged six years, Maude died aged three years, Clarence died aged 14 years and Samuel died aged two years. The survivors are: William L., of Auburn township; Lucy, wife of G. W. Lee, of Worcester, Ohio; and Bert, who resides with his father.

Mr. Firestone has been a Republican all his life but has taken only a good citizen’s interest in public matters. He is very well known all over Shawnee County and is much respected. He has witnessed many changes since coming here, has seen all this section developed from a wilderness and has always done his part in assisting the wheels of progress.